Self-centering ice chute and run



@M AJ77@ Apr. 3, li/*23.

L? G. HOL-rz ET AL SELF CENTERING C'E` CHUTE AND RUN Filed Mal".

. IJ l WITNESSES INVENTORS lBY A'ITORN EY Patented Apr. 3, 1923,

GUSTAV HOLTZ AND CALVIN GRESS, Oli GOULDSBOBO, PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-CENTERING ICE CHUTE AND RUN.

Application led March 12, 1920. Serial No. 365,260

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUsrAv Honra and CALVIN Gauss, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Gouldsboro, in the county of Wayne and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Self-Centering Ice Chutesand Runs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice chutes and runs. An object of theinvention is to provide an ice chute which will center the cakes of iceas they slide by gravity down to the run, and which will insure the icetraveling midway of the runway without colliding with the sides thereof.It is then within the province of this invention to provide a combinedchute and runway, or track, for ice, so constructed that however a cakeof ice may be handled it will be centered by the chute as it travelsdown the same and will pass on to the runway for the entire lengththereof, with a minimum of resistance offered to its passage.

A further object is to provide a chute and runway in such relation toeach other that the ice will be grooved as it passes from the ,chute tothe runway, which grooves will pre` vent the ice from moving from sideto side of the runway.

A further obj ect is to provide an ice chute and run which is especiallyuseful under winter conditions. i

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modilied so longas such changes and modifications mark no material departure from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a top plan view of an ice chute and a. portionof a runway constructed in accordance with this invention. i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

F ig. 3 is an end elevation of one of the sections of the runways.

X represents the ice chute which is connected at its discharge end to arunway Y, comprising sections Y1, Y1, etc. The receiving end of thechute is secured upon a support Z which may be adjacent a runway orconveyor in an ice house. The chute X is inclined as shown in Fig. 2,and is tapered as .F ig. l depicts, while the runway Y leads the icealong the floor of a room of the ice house and is thereforesubstantially horizontal.

The numeral 10 refers to the side bars of the chute whichfurthercomprises ties ll, l2, 13 andlfl, fixed to the side bars l0 atspaced intervals. The side bars l() converge towards each other from thereceiving end of the chute at Z to the discharge end thereof, where itis joined to the run. Running longitudinally of the chute are T-bars i6set in notches, or seats, l5 cut in the ties of the chute. The T barsform a track for the cakes of ice and there may be any number of themsecured upon the ties. rihe free edges of the webs of the T-bars areuppermost so that the ice cakes slide over these edges. The T-bars l5converge towards a common point, and the point of convergence of theT-bars and of the side bars l0 is preferably the same. This placing ofthe Ebars on the chute results in their ends being spaced farther apart`at the receiving end of the chute than at the discharge end. Each ofthe T-bars stops short with the end tie l1 for a purpose to be madeplain.

The first section Y1 of the runway is detachably secured to thedischarge end of the Chute by any desirable means. The drawing shows astrap 17 fixed to the lower ends of the side bars l0 which strap has aperforation to receive a linger 24 of a strap 23. instead of this meansof connecting the chute with the runway other means might be employed,the particular means forming no part of the present invention. In anycase, however, the first section of the runway is held spaced from thelower end of the chute to the degree shown in the drawing.

The run sections each comprise side bars i8 which side bars have lessheight than the side bars l0, end ties 19, intermediate ties 20 andlf-bars 22. The latter `are set in notches, or seats 2l cut in the tiesand are secured to the ties by any preferred means. The T-V bars Q2 aresecured in a position similar to the 'i'bars 16 except they are parallelto each other. The ends of the T-bars of the Erst section Y1, where thesame is oined with the chute stop short with the end tie 19, leaving agap or space between the T-bars of the chute and of said section. On theother hand the T-bars of the runways and sections where adjacent, mayrun substanl which it may be put together.

tially continuously as do the rails of sections Y1 and Y2 of the drawingin Fig. 1.

As the ice travels along the conveyor or runway adjacent the support Zan operator will hook the cakes and throw them upon the chute. The chuteis soconstructed that it delivers the ice cakes in a line medial of therunway. The taperof the chute and the convergence of the T-bars thereofbrings about this result. As therice reaches the lower end of the Achuteit must pass over the gap or interval between the chute and the lirstsection of the runway. Now thev ice chutehas a, greater number of T-barsto form its track, and each of these T-bars is out oalignment with anyof the T-bars of therunway. There will be preferably one more T-barprovided for the track of the chutethan for the track off the runway. Inthe drawing five T-bars are shown on the chute and it'our on the run.The outer bars of the chute lie outside of the outer bars of the run.The eie'ct of this construction, in connection with the incline of thechute and with the gap between the chute and run, is to make the ice hit,the ends of the webs of the T-bars on the run, 4whereupon grooves are`formed inthe ice cake. `These grooves guide the ice cake as it passesover the runway and prevent `the ice from colliding with the sidesof thesame. ln order to bring about this grooving effect it is absolutelynecessary to `have each` `'ff-bar of the chute out of alignment with anyot the T-.bars of the run, and it is further necessary to have the outerT-bars of the chute outside of the outer T-bars'ofthe run. The freeedgesv of the webs of the TIT-bars are blunt, the T-bars employed beingthe ordinary ones of commerce u n A feature of this invention is thesimplicity of construction and the ease with The frame work oit thechute and runway is preferably of wood, andthe railsvbeing ordinary T-bars are obtainable everywhere. `No skill is required to spike down theT-bars on the ties in proper position, while an ordinary blacksmith maymake the connecting ele-- ments 17 and 23 which hold the sections of therunway as well as the runway and chute together.

So far as `we know we arethe first to provide a self-centering ice chuteparticularly adapted for winter weather which will, no matter howcarelessly the ice cakes are handled, always deliver the same in a linemedial of the runway and which makes impossible any side movements `ofthe ice cakes when once delivered down the runway. What is claimed is:

Vl. In combination, an ice chute tapered from its receiving end to itsdischarging end, an ice run `ioined thereto but separatefgl by aninterval therefrom, and means on the chute.

the run for cutting grooves in the ice is passes over said interval.

2. In combination, an ice chute compris-r ing a.- frai'ne and railslaid.longitudinally ot' the frame, and an ice run'similarly made anddisposed with oneend adjacent the end it the chute with a spaceseparating the ends of the rails `of the chute and of the run, the framebeing tapered from its receiving' end to its, discharging end, the widthAof the run approximating the width of the discharge end of the chute,the rails of the chute and run beingnon-alining.

3. lndcon'ibination, an ice` chute made up of a iii-amc andloi'igitudinally- 'eXtending rails, the rails `converging toward acommon point, and an ice run connected with, that end of the chutetoward which the rails converge and having similarbut 'parallel rails. ip

4. In combination, anice run,A an ice chute discharging into the Yicerun 'and made up oi' a -frame and railsfthe parts'of the chute being sopositioned as-,to deliver centrally oit the run a cake of ice placedup'on ln combination., an ice chute having rails converging towardthe'dischar'ge yend thereof, said rails endingvwithfthe chute; and anice run havingl rails spacedfapart at their ends fromthe" rails ofthechute.

6. ln combination, an ice lchute having a plurality oi rails spaced`apart but converging towai'd `the discharge end of the chuterandan icerun with sim'lardrails and joined to said chute end, the railso thechute being more numerous At'hanthe rails ot the run. v t

'ln combination, anicechute having a plurality of 'rails spacedapartlbiit converg` ing toward the discharge endotft'he chute; and anicerun having rails andfjoinedto said. chute end, the outs-ide rails of thechute being outside the coi'respoiidingrails of the run. v

8. V licsombina'tion, an iCechute, 'and an ice run connected thereto,bo'th of said ele ments having" rails, the "rails of the ice run beingspaced `from the chute rails Yas well aslrom each other and being out'ofalign-A ment with the chute rails. y

9, itself-centering ice chuteand run Acomprising a chute tapered towardits'dischai'tge end, rails on thechute convergingtoward that end butspaced apart;` and *rice run tired to the discharge end of the chute andhaving parallel rails longitudinally thereof, the rails ol! the' chutebeingspreadv over a greater lateral area than the railsL ot the llln.,.A..

l0. In combination, 'an ice 1 chute ihaving converging I sides,- aplurality of r railsfon the chute converging in alike manner Ito thesides thereof, and anicyeur'un having parallel rails, the ice r'un beingadjacenty the end of the chute and the ends of the chuterails beingspaced from the ends of the rails of the run, whereby the chute deliversice cakes centrally of the run.v

ll. In combination, an ice chute having a plurality of rails convergingtoward the discharge end of the chute, and an ice run having parallelrails, the run being located adjacent the end of the chute With the rail10 ends of the chute and run spaced apart, the

ends of the rails of the run being intermediate the rails of the chuteso that the ends of the runs rails cut grooves in ice cakes descendingupon the run from the chute.

In testimony, that We claim the foregoing as our own, We have heretoaiiixed our signatures.

GUSTAV HOLTZ. CALVIN GRESS.

